Before talking about how Canada won, it is important to understand the significance of this victory at this point in time. It has been a rough stretch for Hockey Canada, most famously losing in overtime to USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics, but its international woes go deeper than that. Just a week before the tournament, Canada was embarrassed in the final game of the World Junior Summer Showcase, losing 7-2. Before that, Canada lost to Czechia in back-to-back years at the World Juniors, earning just one bronze medal and no silver or gold medals over the past three years of the tournament, while also having to watch rival USA win the tournament in back-to-back years. Even at the IIHF World Championship, where Canada brought stars like Macklin Celebrini, Sidney Crosby, and John Tavares, among others, it was not able to medal. But this group of U18 Canadians was able to put those recent struggles behind them and finally bring home gold.

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Round Robin

Canada made light work of its three round-robin opponents, outscoring them by a combined 20-8 and out-shooting them 145-63, averaging 6.66 (oh no!) goals and 48.33 shots per game. The teams’ offense was led largely by two 16-year-olds, the two youngest players on the roster, who also happen to both play for the Regina Pats of the Western Hockey League. Maddox Schultz and Liam Pue were without a doubt the two best forwards on the Canadian roster through the round robin, with Schultz leading the team with seven points and Pue right behind him with six points in three games. Their established chemistry was clear from the drop of the puck, as they were able to find each other with passes that seemed impossible. The results of that chemistry showed immediately, as in Game 1 against Switzerland, Pue scored two goals, both assisted by Schultz. On defense, all of the focus going into the tournament was on Landon DuPont, and rightfully so. While he did not put up the point totals that some were expecting in the round robin, he was still clearly the best offensive defenseman at the tournament, controlling the game and dictating play every time he was on the ice. Additionally, the pairing of Boston Tait and Brock Cripps was Canada’s most complete. Cripps was the dynamic offensive defenseman, while Tait was the more patient and defensively responsible of the two, yet still provided enough offense of his own and possessed a great stretch pass.

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Semifinals

Unlike in the round robin, Canada was about to be tested. Canada drew Finland in the semifinals, led by defenseman Lenni Kokkonen, newly signed London Knight, Luca Santala, and highly touted 2028 draft-eligible Paavo Fugleberg. When the puck dropped, Canada was immediately in trouble, surrendering 10 of the first 11 shots of the game and allowing the opening goal on the power play to make it 1-0 Finland. Even though the game was going in the wrong direction, presumptive first-overall pick in the upcoming draft Landon DuPont was constantly making plays every time he was on the ice. DuPont dragged Canada back into the game with a slap shot from the high slot to tie the game late in the first. When the second period began, the Cooper McAslan-Matt Henderson pairing left Finland’s Max Poikela alone in front on a missed assignment, and he scored to make it 2-1 Finland. Defensive lapses like that became a trend in this game for Canada. Later in the second, Canada’s Ben Veitch sent a shot from the point through traffic that the opposing goalie could not see, tying the game heading into the third period. Canada played a great final 20 minutes, starting with Landon DuPont giving Finland all kinds of trouble in the offensive zone, allowing his defensive partner, Malik L’Italien, room to score and give Canada a 3-2 lead. Ben Veitch and Finland center Olli Kymala both scored to bring the game to 4-3 with less than eight minutes remaining. Finland pressed hard with the net empty, but Veitch, who finished with two goals and two assists on the night, and Kayden Stroeder both scored into the empty net to give Canada the win and a berth in the gold medal game against Team USA.

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Gold Medal Game

Canada versus USA in the gold medal game featured the two best teams in the tournament. This American team was not quite as dominant as Canada in the round robin but still handily beat its three opponents: Czechia 6-4, Finland 4-1, and Germany 8-1. The team was led by mobile offensive defenseman Jake Prunty and 6-1 center Gavin Burcar, who opened the tournament with a hat trick and did not look back, recording a four-point night in the semifinals to help get USA to the gold medal game. The tournament had not been selling particularly well to this point, with one Rogers Place employee I spoke to saying most games were selling about 700-900 seats. That was not the case for this game. There was not an empty seat in the arena, apart from the four or so sections that were closed off, and the atmosphere was palpable even during warmups. When the puck dropped, the physicality started immediately, with both teams landing hits and getting into scrums after the whistle.

Just a minute and a half into the game, Brock England received a drop pass from Liam Pue and beat the goalie to make it 1-0 Canada. The lead almost evaporated immediately when Alexis Joseph, who was demoted to the fourth line prior to the game, committed a turnover in front of Canada’s net that nearly allowed USA to tie the game. Maddox Schultz then scored on the power play from a great pass by Landon DuPont to make it 2-0 Canada. A few shifts after his power-play goal, Schultz stripped an American of the puck and nearly gave Pue another goal on the ensuing rush. England then showed what he had been showing all tournament: he can score and do it in multiple ways, this time with a powerful one-timer from a great pass by Brock Cripps. Right as everything seemed to be going Canada’s way, Schultz took a high-sticking penalty, giving USA a five-on-three power play late in the first. USA capitalized on the ensuing power play off a rebound created by a hard shot from Gavin Burcar that Gunnar Conboy buried to cut the lead to 3-1.

This was when Landon DuPont took over the game, picking up his second and third assists of the night on goals by Benjamin Veitch and Maddox Schultz to make it 5-1. Liam Pue was not done either, scoring the next two goals to give Canada a 7-1 lead. The game ended 8-1, off the backs of Canada’s star players. DuPont finished with four assists in the game, three of them primary, while Schultz and Pue both finished with two goals and an assist. Both Pue and Schultz hit milestones in this game, with Schultz becoming the all-time U17 Canadian points leader at the tournament and Pue becoming the all-time U17 Canadian goals leader. With this win, Canada finally delivered in a big game on the international stage, something that had once felt almost automatic. The next test will be at the World Juniors back in Edmonton this winter.

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Josh Libfeld